4. Intercultural Communication and Motivation

Introduction/ Methodology

This module is written and narrated by Chris Malherbe, English@Work, Germany.Vocabulary list by Learnmera Oy, Finland.Cartoons, layout and video by Boris Stoyanov, e-Training Solutions, Germany.

Summary

This self-help learning module has been designed for people who want to be more effective in their communication in English with people from other cultures. It will enable you to understand the people you are communicating with better and to improve your intercultural communication. As a result, you will understand your culture and that of others better.

This self-help learning module is suitable for you if:

• You have had misunderstandings when communicating with someone from another culture
• You have a feeling that or your communication partners are taking things too literally
• You are not sure what is appropriate for you to do in your intercultural communication
• You are not sure what the people you are communicating with are really trying to say
• You sometimes have difficulties understanding people from other cultures

Required level of English language proficiency to read and understand this module:

Estimated time to complete the module:

8 hours

Objectives

Upon completion of this module you will:

• Be able to compare and contrast your culture with other cultures
• Know what a mindset is and how it impacts cross-cultural communication
• Understand and be able to apply 10 key cultural variables to any target culture
• Be better prepared for your communication and be able to practice the art of style-shifting
• Be more motivated to communicate with people from other cultures

Methodology

This E-learning book is an open educational resource. It uses open-source technology and multimedia. It is mobile-friendly and device-independent. It is delivered online but there also is an offline version. The self-help learning program is designed for individual learners to work on their own and includes practice activities. It can also be used in a classroom as part of an instructor-led training program.

SupEFL

Supplemental Self-Help in English as a Foreign Language for Learners with Specific Learning Differences
Erasmus+ KA2 project 2014-1-DE02-KA200-001093

Disclaimer

This project has been funded width support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.